Dandelions for Dinner
The Common Lawn Weed Finds New Life in the Kitchen
The dandelion is more than a bothersome weed. Throughout history, it has been known as food, medicine and drink.
While most of the civilized world reviles it, the dandelion in your yard is just waiting to be your friend. Once known in France as Dent de Lion, in Latin it was called Dens leonis and by the ancient Greeks as Leontodon, the dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is mostly now known as a weed. Yet, at one time, the dandelion was so prized as a medicinal plant that it was brought to America by settlers looking to tame the new world.
Dandelion with Bacon and Egg
For the forager, there is not a part of the dandelion that will go to waste. In the very early spring, before the flower buds have begun pushing up from the crown, dandelion greens make a very special addition to meals, either raw in a salad or cooked, like spinach. One of my favorite ways to cook dandelion greens is to cook several slices of bacon and pour the hot bacon drippings over a bowl of dandelion greens. Toss them until the hot drippings cause the leaves to wilt. Crumble the bacon over the greens and add crumbled hard-boiled egg.
Once the flowers begin to bloom and the leaves become bitter, it is time to pick the flowers for eating or winemaking. The flowers can be added fresh to salads and sautéed or steamed with other vegetables. Many of the recipes you find for dandelion wine say to remove all the green parts from the flower because any green causes bitterness. I have made wine with the calyx (collection of sepals or green parts under the flower) still attached and never noticed any bitterness.
With the arrival of autumn, you can take advantage of forcing dandelions for fresh greens during the winter. Dig up some plants, being careful not to damage the roots and plant in a deep container filled with peat moss or sand. Keep moist, but not soaked, and cover the container with dark plastic. Store in a cool, dark place, like your basement or cellar and in a few weeks you will find pale green, almost white leaves growing from the crown of the plant. These are best in a salad, as they will have very little bitterness in them.
Dandelion Leaves a Mild Diuretic
Before I leave you to begin your search for this king of the yard, I must leave you with a word of warning. Remember that the French used to call the dandelion Dent de Lion? The modern French name is pissenlit, which pretty much means “wet the bed.” That is because the leaves can be a mild diuretic, helping your body remove excess water. Don’t over do it and you will be fine.
Until next time, In Bocca Al Lupo!
